Unsung Heroes: How It All Began

Several people have asked how I first became interested in projects of unsung heroes. It dates back to 2008. I was attending the National Milken Educator Awards. My husband and I sat by a wonderful man, Norm Conard. He was friendly, wise, and thoroughly enjoyable.



The next day, I attended a session about project based learning. The thing that first caught my attention was the mention of a woman, Irena Sendler, who rescued Jewish children from the Polish ghettos during WWII. I have always been interested in WWII and inspirational stories of heroic people from that era. I had never heard of Irena before, so I decided to check it out. The gentleman giving the presentation was Norm, my table mate, from the night before. I heard the remarkable story of Irena Sendler. I heard about Norm’s experience as a teacher using project based learning and the young students from Kansas who brought this amazing story to light. Irena’s story is a touching one and there is absolutely no way I can not to justice to it in a single blog entry so please visit http://www.lowellmilkencenter.org/ and click on the link “Life in a Jar”, under highlighted projects. You will also want to visit www.irenasendler.org to learn more about the project and this once unsung hero (no longer unsung, but definitely a hero). 



On display at the Lowell Milken Center



Back to the story of how I came to be involved in my heroes’ project…Those who know me well know that my enthusiasm and passion often get the best of me. I have a tendency to jump right in before thinking things through. Immediately after the session, I marched up to Norm and explained how I would love to do work with project based learning and unsung heroes in my own first grade classroom. The next school year, my students and I did some work on a minor scale. Norm and I stayed in contact.



Megan, Don, myself, Drew, and Norm

Lowell Milken Center in Fort Scott, Kansas



During the summer of 2010, I had the awesome opportunity to visit the Lowell Milken Center in Kansas as a fellow. Visit www.lowellmilkencenter.org and click on the Fellows and Interns link for more information on this invaluable program. I spent a week at the Center learning about project based learning, primary research, and unsung heroes. I was hooked. I returned home with greater passion and enthusiasm than before I left. My colleague, Mrs. Tautkus, had her fire lit and we are continuing this remarkable journey together. Check out her Snowball post at www.mrstautkus.blogspot.com for some insights into our adventure.

And the rest is history in the making…

"I'm new. I'm trying." Button

People who comment that teachers only work 8-3 five days a week with summers off obviously don’t know any teachers! (That’s a whole other post.) Anyhow, Friday nights have become one of my major planning times, often staying until 9:00 at night. Quite often I get together with one of my colleagues, Mrs. Tautkus. Yesterday we stopped by Taco John’s for a quick bite to eat. The young man at the counter greeted me with a smile and I couldn’t help but notice the button he was wearing. It read: “I’m New. I’m Trying.”

I chuckled and imagined myself wearing that same button at school. Although this is my tenth year in education, I continuously find myself saying “I’m new at this. I’m trying.”  Education is all about trying new things, changing what isn’t working, improving what is, meeting the diverse needs of students. This year, as every year, is filled with a long list: going deeper with formative assessment, improving my questioning skills, mentoring a student intern, bringing two nationally known artists to our school for the Artist in Residence program, experimenting with how project based learning looks and sounds in first grade, discovering possible hero stories, taking on recycling projects, trying my hand at blogging, and much more. Things don’t always go as planned. It isn’t always neat and tidy. Things don’t always work out. It isn’t always comfortable. However, I’m learning and my students are learning.

I have a feeling even after 25 years of teaching, I’ll still be saying “I’m new at this. I’m trying.” What things are you trying this year? How is it going? I would love to hear from all you brave people trying new things.

Now, if anyone knows where I get one of those buttons...

“It is alright to try and fail, but don’t fail to try!” –unknown

OF THEE I SING: A Letter to My Daughters ... A Must Have

I received this wonderful book as a Christmas gift from one of my colleagues. Thank you Mrs. Tautkus! Regardless of political affiliation, of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters is a must have.

I love it for the multiple ways it can be used in and out of the classroom. I love it for its inspiration. I love it for its connections to American history. I love it for the message that fits so nicely with our “It Only Takes One” project in first grade. I love it for the message that today’s children are tomorrow’s leaders.  I love it for its encouragement to follow our dreams and reach the potential within us.

I can see using it for a six traits lesson on organization. The left page of the spread shows a child and asks a question such as “Have I told you that you are a healer?”. The right page of the spread shows that child as an adult and tells his or her place in history. In response to the previous question, the answer is: “Sitting Bull was a Sioux medicine man who healed broken hearts and broken promises. It is fine to be different, he said. ‘For peace, it is not necessary for eagles to be crows.’ Though he was put in prison, his spirit soared free on the plains, and his wisdom touched the generations.

The final page then gives additional information about each hero. Loren Long’s illustrations are gorgeous. This book is perfect for the classroom and perfect as a gift for people of all ages. Check out the following video which is narrated by Loren Long, the illustrator of the book.